Physical Therapy A Vital Part of Senior Healthcare

• Physical therapy isn’t exclusively for the young and athletic. It’s a vital part of senior healthcare!

• Physical therapy can help seniors maintain or regain their independence while also minimizing pain. It focuses on rehabilitating a patient’s health using carefully chosen exercise and equipment to restore a patient’s ability to function. Strength, balance, coordination and range of motion can each be targeted using different techniques.

• Whenever daily functions are hindered by physical limitations, physical therapy should be considered. While it is common for physical therapy to follow some surgeries, its benefits are not limited to surgical recoveries.

• The National Aging Council reports that falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in seniors. While it may seem counterintuitive, seniors who limit their activity increase their risk of falls. A sedentary lifestyle weakens the body, which makes it more prone to failure. Damage from prior falls, if not treated, likewise increases the risk of falling. Falls are not a normal part of aging and physical therapy can be used both to prevent and to recover from falls.

• Trauma is not, however, a prerequisite to physical therapy. Around half of people ages 65 and older have arthritis. Physical therapists can teach proper body mechanics to help both recover function and decrease pain. Education on ergonomics also empowers seniors to prevent unnecessary stress to their bodies.

• Physical therapy can aid with the following conditions and more. • Stroke

• Osteoporosis

• Cancer

• Incontinence

• Alzheimer’s & dementia

Gonzaba Medical Group offers physical therapy to San Antonio patients who qualify. To schedule an appointment, please call 210-921-3821 or email info@gonzaba.com.